The discussion featuring dignitaries from care organisations across the world stressed the need for state support through funds and facilities
Sharjah, September 16, 2025
“A strong investment in care and support builds resilient societies, enhances human dignity and strengthens national development outcomes” was a key takeaway from a session titled “Why is the care agenda important to us?” at the World Congress 2025 ‘We Are Inclusion’ which began in Sharjah on September 15 (Monday), and continues until September 17.
Sharing their experiences and perspectives on the care agenda were dignitaries from organisations across the world involved in care and support work.
Heba Hagrass, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, underlined that the care and support agenda has been gaining global attention in recent years. “The UN highlights the importance of recognising unpaid care work, especially those common household tasks performed by women, and the need for policies that ensure gender equality and human rights. Our agenda aims to personalise support services and expand access to technology.” She stressed the need for early intervention and financial support so that children can grow in families and not institutions.
Dr. Jassem Alhammadi, Secretary General of the Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work and head of Knowledge Management, stated that the UAE and the emirate of Sharjah pay particular attention to developing services for people with disabilities. “We have many centres for their care and people working with us for the same. We fight discrimination and respect their right to education. We have the infrastructure and provide financial aid and if necessary, housing. There is a daycare facility for working parents of children with disabilities. We also provide social, mental, legal, and other services.” The department has provided employment to 25 persons in Emirates Post, Alhammadi noted.
Elena Dal Bo, Director of Association Azul in Argentina, noted that people in Latin America living with a disability get low support from the state. “Care has a negative connotation for people with disabilities in our region,” she observed, adding that care and support must go together. Her suggestions to Latin American organisations for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities included networking with different stakeholders especially women and older persons so as to introduce the perspective of disability of the social human rights models.
Auberon Jaleel Odoom, National Coordinator of Inclusion Ghana, emphasised the importance of social protection for an inclusive care system. He said that there is a growing recognition of care and support across Africa, which is essential for human dignity and relieving the household burden on women. “Mechanisms like cash transfers, health insurance, social services and disability grants have reduced financial burden on families. Without social protection, care remains invisible and dependent on women’s unpaid labour,” he added.
Fatma Wangare noted that her organisation Kenya Association of the Intellectually Handicapped (KAIH), is in the forefront of reforms in the field and focuses on inclusive social protection systems. She said there was a time when children with disabilities were abandoned in forests or in institutions as “we had a limited working system and families carried the burden of care”. According to her, the National Council for Disability in Kenya launched a pilot project targeting intellectual disabilities and autism.
Fadia Farah, President of the Lebanese Association for Self-Advocacy (LASA), noted that self-advocates were influencing social protection in her country. Farah, whose presentation included drawings done by her daughter with an intellectual disability, stated there were limitations in her troubled country’s provision of services for the disabled. “We want good support to live in a community but right now it is parents giving that support.” Thanks to activities by organisations like LASA, inclusive schools have gone up to 150, she said. However, she reminded that “inclusion starts at home and grows in the community”.
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